This disclosure relates to a liftgate assembly used to open and close an opening in a rear portion of a vehicle body.
Minivans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), hatchbacks, and other vehicles have an opening defined in a rear portion of the vehicle's body. Ordinarily, these vehicles include liftgates that are used to selectively open and close the opening in the rear portion of the vehicle. Some liftgates include a flipglass window, which can be opened and closed independent of the liftgate to selectively expose a portion of the opening. Some liftgates are powered liftgates, which are opened and closed by an automated system. Other liftgates are manually opened and closed by a user.
Some known liftgate assemblies include a pair of liftgate struts mounted between the liftgate and the vehicle's body. These struts, which may be pneumatic struts such as gas springs, regulate movement of the liftgate as the liftgate opens and closes. When the liftgate includes a flipglass window, the liftgate includes another pair of struts connected to the flipglass window. In total, these known liftgate assemblies include four struts regulating movement of the liftgate and the flipglass window.